Institutional Characteristics as of December 31, 1999

1. Corporate name of institution:
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

2. Address:
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747-2300
Phone: (508) 999-8000

3. Date institution was chartered or authorized:
1895 (1863, UMass)

4. Date institution enrolled first students in degree programs:
1896

5. Date institution awarded first degrees:
1898

6. Type of control:
Public: Commonwealth of Massachusetts

7. By what agency is the institution legally authorized to provide a program of education beyond high school, and what degrees is it authorized to grant? (A copy of the institution's enabling legislation is available in the workroom.)
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Master of Arts
Master of Science
Master of Fine Arts
Master of Business Administration
Master of Art Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
Doctor of Philosophy

8. Level of postsecondary offering (check all that apply)

9. Type of undergraduate programs (check all that apply)

10. The calendar system at the institution is:

_X_ Semester ___ Quarter ___ Trimester ___Other

11. What constitutes a "normal" credit hour load for students each semester?

a) Undergraduate 15 credit hours

b) Graduate 9 credit hours

c) Professional N/A

12. Student Population (Fall 1999):

a) How many full-time students in degree programs?

b) How many part-time students in degree programs?

c) How many full time equivalents (total student population)?

1. Undergraduate 5209

2. Graduate 523

d) How many students (headcount) in non-credit, short-term courses? 211

13. List all programs accredited by a nationally-recognized, specialized accrediting agency. List the name of the appropriate agency for each accredited program:

American Chemical Society

Chemistry BS

Computing Sciences Accreditation Board

Computer Science BS

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

Civil Engineering BS
Computer Engineering BS
Electrical Engineering BS
Mechanical Engineering BS
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology BS

Nursing Commission, The National League for Nursing Accrediting

Nursing BS, MS

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Medical Laboratory Science, Clinical Option BS

National Association of Schools of Arts and Design

Art History BA
Art Education BFA
Visual Design BFA, MFA
Textile Design BFA
Artisanry MFA
Fine Arts BFA, MFA

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education/National Association of Departments of Teacher Education

Teacher Certification Program
Master's of Art in Teaching
Art Education

14. List by name and title the chief administrative officers of the institution.

15. Supply a table of organization for the institution.

Click here for five organizational charts. They wil lopen in a new window. Close that window to resume reading this page..

16. Record briefly the central elements in the history of the institution: The Dartmouth campus traces its roots to 1895, when the legislature chartered the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River. (As part of the University of Massachusetts, UMass Dartmouth extends its lineage to the land-grant founding of UMass in 1863).

By the middle of the 20th century these two colleges were growing rapidly, spurred by such forces as the GI Bill and the clear economic and social advantages of a well-educated citizenry. They had become multipurpose institutions, preparing engineers, health care workers, teachers, and business leaders.

In 1962 the state legislature created Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute by merging the small colleges in New Bedford and Fall River. The 710-acre campus in North Dartmouth, part way between New Bedford and Fall River, was begun in 1964. In 1969, in response to a clear public demand for a comprehensive university in the region, SMTI became Southeastern Massachusetts University.

The university continued to grow through the 1970s when its residence halls were finished and through the '80s as research and studio facilities came into being. In 1988 the most recent academic building, the Dion Science and Engineering Building, was completed, as was the Cedar Dell town-house complex (upperclass and graduate student housing). Also in 1988, the Swain School of Design merged with the university's College of Visual and Performing Arts, strengthening programs in art and Artisanry. The Swain merger brought additional art facilities in New Bedford to the university. In 1991, Southeastern Massachusetts University became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

In 1994 UMass Dartmouth received approval to offer its first PhD degree, in Electrical Engineering. It also offers several joint doctoral programs with other UMass campuses. In 1997 construction was completed on the Marine Science and Technology building, located on 2.6 acres in New Bedford near Buzzards Bay.

	Top of Page

Home Page | Institutional Characteristics| Preface | Overview | Mission and Purpose | Planning and Evaluation | Organization and Governance | Programs and Instruction | Faculty | Student Services | Library and Information Resources | Physical Resources | Financial Resources | Public Disclosure | Integrity